Mission: Christmas Tree
by hyndara71
Summary: The first Christmas Eve for the Atlantis expedition is coming up. And John Sheppard and Rodney McKay got a special mission. humor, christmas, friendship


Mission: Christmas Tree

**Author's Note:** I know there are many failures in this story. I've translated it more than a year ago and tried to find a Beta from that on – but no one was able/or willing to do the job. I'm sorry to damage the English language this way but I also think some here will like the fanfic. At least I was asked to translate it before I did. So please forgive my mistakes and try to enjoy reading the story.

**Disclaimer:** Stargate: Atlantis is owned by MGM, SyFy and many, many more – but not me. This fanfic was written just for fun.

**Timeline:** It's set in the first season, somewhere after _1.10 The Storm_, _1.11 The Eye_.

„Major?"

John Sheppard paused before he moved around and looked at Elizabeth Weir. The leader of the expedition stood behind him and smiled. But why he didn't noticed her before?

„Dr. Weir", he said and smiled back. Automaticly he stepped a little bit back from her.

„Christmas eve is near", she explained, ignoring the growing distance between them.

John looked at her, leaning his head a bit to a side, a quiet question in his eyes.

„We are in need of a christmas tree", Elizabeth finally said. Her smile grew to a grin.

Johns frowned and nodded. „I will take a jumper. Thirty minutes and a tree is ready."

„I know you would solve this problem", Elizabeth smiled and turned to leave the gym. But then she hesitated and looked back at John. „You should take Dr. Marple with you I think. She could be helpful."

„Okay." John blinkened helpless.

Who was Dr. Marple?

* * *

><p>One hour later John got his answer: Dr. Angelica Marple was an older lady with grey hairs and a not so lovely face. John remembered to met her in the past a few times on the floors of Atlantis. But he never imagined she was a scientist.<p>

Now he found out that Dr. Marple was a prime-example of a passenger. Quietly she sat on the co-pilots seat, looked out of the front shield and studied the clouds, the sky or the ocean. And she was only speaking when he asked something.

Maybe, so were John's thoughts during the flight, he should introduce Dr. Marple to Rodney McKay. She could teach the Canadian one or two things about handling with other persons especially with the military personnel. John grinned only by imagine one of these lessons while he landed the jumper on the ground near the village of the Athosians.

Dr. Marple stood up after he left the cockpit and followed him out of the jumper while she picked up her bag from one of the back-seats.

John was amazed by this woman. He could not really classify her. And after he realized this he decided to accept this situation and his interesting company.

Halling awaited them outsite of the jumper. He welcomed Dr. Marple warm and friendly and very private, what John made once more wonder. But he kept silence and followed them both into the woods. Curiosity was in his eyes while he watched the tall Athosian and the botanist.

After they wandered through the woods for a while John's mind began to drift away from the old woman back to Elizabeth Weir's order.

Well, this time he was sure he got an easy mission. On an island full of trees like Canadian spruces he only had to take a decision. And he was pretty sure he would find the perfect Christmas tree for the city ofAtlantis.

The first Christmas tree after all these billions of years. He could not imagine how long Atlantis last. And to think that this one would be the first one after all these years … weird idea!

John stopped his walk and watched at one tree.

„Oh, this could be the one", he said.

Yes, this tree looked exactly like one of the spruces which filled all the woods in Nothern America.

„Yeah, you will get good fuelwood", Halling said.

„Our Christmas tree", John corrected and took the jigsaw he carried with him from his shoulder.

„Major, stop this!" Dr. Marple ordered and came nearer. Her breath came short and gasping.

John changed a long look with Halling.

„Why?" the Athosian finally asked.

Dr. Marple stopped in front of the tree and crossed her arms before her breast with a very serious look. „When you fell this tree all you will get is fuelwood. It will loose all its needles", she answered. „It's not that kind of tree we need for a Christmas tree."

John looked very helpless to the tree.

„But you told us you are in need of fuelwood", Halling corrected.

„We need a Christmas tree. That's a difference", Marple answered very kindly. Slowly she went to the Athosian with a brief smile on her face. „Christmas is a special tradition on Earth you should know. It is all about ..."

John eyed the tree. He never heard before from trees like the ones Dr. Marple decriped. Why should any tree lost its leaves or needles only by felling?

This was to be proofed John decided and went in front of the tree. He took a look over his shoulder to find his companions still deep in a conversation. Quickly he gripped a twig and broke it out of the tree.

In the same second the twig broke all its needles fell to the ground.

John starred at the naked twig in his hand.

What happened here?

Maybe only an accident?

He only knew one answer: to repeat his little experiment.

This time John's choice was a small knot. And just like a reprice all the needles fell to the ground in the same second the knot was seperated from the tree.

John could not believe what happened here.

„Come on, Major. I'm sure we wouldn't find what we need", Dr. Marple's voice broke his concentration.

John shooked his head and tried to hide the dead knot before he followed the botanist and the Athosian back to the clearing where the jumper was waiting for him to return to the city.

* * *

><p>„I'm sorry, Elizabeth, but I really think we have to search on other planets", Dr. Marple explained and shoke her head. „But the botanic department will be ready for any help the possible teams will need, you can be sure."<p>

„And you are absolutely sure about the trees on the mainland?" Elizabeth asked. John was sure he heard a little sorrow in her voice.

„I'm sorry. Halling told me about this characteristic when I descriped to him what we need", Dr. Marple said.

„And when we excavate one and put him in a watertank?" Elizabeth asked.

„No way", John answered and shoke his head. „The tree will lost its needles much faster then anybody could put him in an watertank."

Dr. Marple smiled at him and John came to mind what he told the both women without words.

Why he always talk too much when he better should shut up? He had to reprehent himself about this.

„The Major is right", Dr. Marple told Elizabeth. „And you cannot compare a bucket with the ground. A tree is in need of much more then only water."

„No chance to excavate?"

„No chance I fear, Elizabeth. I'm sorry", Marple repeated.

Elizabeth looked at John. And he blinkened and moved his shoulders to a quiet „I don't have another answer".

Finally Elizabeth sighed and nooded. „Alright, so we will do this. Major, you will create some teams. We know enough wooded planets out there. I'm sure we will find the perfect christmas tree for the city."

„Just what you've ordered, Ma'am. And we will hurry, because finally we don't have so much time anymore", John answered.

* * *

><p><span>Planet 1<span>

„Why I'm with you?" Rodney McKay asked breathless. „And why the hell you always have to park the jumper so far away from your target?"

John took a deep breath and looked around. „We are here to find the perfect christmas tree for the party."

„And why I am with you?" Rodney repeated and pulled a sour face. „And why I have to carry this damned jigsaw?"

John lifted an eyebrow. „Because one of us have to watch out."

„And this you can do so much better than I ..." Rodney grumbled.

John stopped and looked in one direction before he began to smile.

Here it was, the perfect christmas tree!

Slowly he stepped nearer and continued to watch the tree intense.

Straight grown, the needles in a deep green, the knots are full with them. Not too big or too small, just perfect.

„And why we are stopping now?" Rodney asked nerved.

John put his P90 on the ground and watched the tree careful. Good God, he never thought at last it would be so easy to find a perfect one!

„Give me the jigsaw", he ordered and opened his hand. „And hold the tree while I will saw the tree."

„Who am I? You personal slave?" Rodney snaped. But then he decided to do what John had told him. He handed the jigsaw over to the major and stumped aside of the tree. When he stopped next to it he looked into it to find a place for his hand. Disgustedely he took a step back and moved to John. „Are you really sure you want this tree?" he asked.

John frowned. „It is simply perfect", he answered.

„On the outside", Rodney explained. „But real beauty will come from the inside you should know."

John looked at the scientist and sighed. He came down to his knees and put the jigsaw aside to take a look at the trunk – and freezed in the middle of the movement.

The trunk of the tree was full of bucklings which looked like full of purulence. And there was a … John listened one ear near the bucklings. There was a sound. Something that sounds like chirpings and buzzlings.

„So tell me now are you really sure to take this tree?" Rodney repeated with a big but humourless grin.

John didn't answer.

One of the bucklings seemed to move a little. And the sounds were growing louder.

What the hell were this bucklings and the sounds?

John picked up the jigsaw.

„Okay, you want this tree", Rodney decided. „But do you think I'm a giant? The tree isn't so big, Major."

„I don't want to saw the tree", John explained. „I only want to know what these bucklings are."

He carefully touched one of the bucklings with the jigsaw. And in the same second the sound was growing louder again. And the buzzling became a very familiar sound.

„Crap!" John stept aside and had to fight himself not to throw the jigsaw away. He stared with big eyes on the jigsaw and watched a dozen mini Iratus-bugs crabling on the metall of the blade.

Bugs! Why bugs? He wouldn't react when it would be snakes but … BUGS!

„Major, look!" Rodney recoiled from the tree and pointed on the ground.

And there were a black mass of very small Iratus-bugs which falled out of the tree and crabled … straight in the direction of the two men.

John watched out and finally he let the blade of the jigsaw collide with a stone. It was a very satisfied feeling to hear the sound when the chitin of the bugs-bodies brake up. When he lifted the jigsaw a green mass was on the blade.

„Major!" Rodney sounded distressed.

John looked up. His eyes widened while he noticed a black mass of mini-bugs which was tumbled out of the trees and was moving on the ground … straight in the direction he and Rodney were.

„I hate bugs!" John picked up his weapon and Rodney and ran away … back to the jumper.

* * *

><p><span>Planet 2:<span>

John watched out carefully before he turned to the tree he found on this planet.

This one was okay. Tall but not oversized. A good one for the canteen.

But there was something, something weird. He felt like there was someone who watched him and McKay, an invisible watcher all around this planet.

„Just like in the Lord of the Rings", he mumbled.

„What?" McKay asked.

John smiled at Rodney. „You know just like in The Lord of The Rings. The forest where the Ents were living in."

„We are not in New Zealand!" Rodney snapped. „And just … What are you thinking where we are here? This looks more like ..."

„This IS NOT Canada, McKay", John decided. „And now please hold the tree."

Rodney crossed his arms before his chest. „Why should I? Who knows what will be inside of this tree?"

John sighed and put some knots aside so they could see the trunk. It was free from bugs or something else. Only wood. No bugs.

„You see?" He asked. „And now hold the tree, please." He bowed down before the tree to find the right place for cutting it.

Why he choosed McKay to come with him? Why he did not ask Ford or Teyla? He had no answer.

A rustling above his head was followed by a loud howling:

„OUCH!"

John came back on his feed and moved around to see Rodney tombling backwards, holding his own hand with a face full of pain.

„What happened?" The major asked.

„This tree will hit back!" Rodney yelled and showed his hand to John. „Look here!"

John frowned and stepped aside the scientist. Once more he felt like there were strange eyes watching him.

„Let me see", he ordered and looked at Rodneys hand.

It was reddened like after a hit. And there were some really little drops of blood just like a penetration.

John watched the tree out of the corner of his eyes suspicious.

Was it true that the tree was moving?

No way, he decided. They were in Pegasus not in Hogwarts!

„This is nothing, McKay!" He said.

„This is a severe injury. It's possible that it will get invected and I will lose my hand." Rodney protested. „I'm an important member of the expedition. If I get injured we will be all lost!"

John sighed and shoke his head. „All I asked you for was to hold the tree so I can saw it. That's not a hard work."

„When this wood will hit me to death you will believe me, major?" McKay asked. „This … this plant will hit you back!"

Again John shoke his head but he still was watching the tree from the corner of his eye. And he was pretty sure there were some movements. But this was impossible!

„See, McKay, this is a tree", he said pointing to the tree. „A tree cannot hit back."

Rodney folded his arms before his chest and lifted his chin. „I wish you good luck, Major."

John returned to the tree but was still watching it. Maybe the pegasism aquivalent of a squirrel was living inside the knots and tried now to fight for its home.

Again John bowed down before the tree – or better he tried to. Suddenly he felt a hit in his back and found himself a second later with the face on the ground.

„Damnit!" He pushed himself upwards and turned to Rodney. „No tricks, McKay. This I never thought."

„That wasn't me!" The scientist defended himself. „The tree hits you."

John stared at Rodney before he took the jigsaw from the ground. „This is a tree not an Ent. Come on, McKay!"

He turned back to the tree to saw it finally but one of the knots hit him on the nose. Surprised John felt again to the ground, this time on his butt. With widened eyes he looked at the tree which was forging itself and shaking its knots in his direction.

„This IS an Ent!" Immediatly John came back to his feet and ran back to the stargate, Rodney straight behind him.

* * *

><p><span>Planet 3:<span>

John looked suspisionsly around while he wandered up the hill.

This time he heard nothing and he felt nothing, beside the warm sun on his skin. No eyes who were watching him, no bugs that tried to suck the life out of him, no wraith. Only some birds are singing and this wonderful clear air that filled his lungs. This whole landscape remembered him on one place on earth he really enjoyed to visit:

„Himalaya!" John sighed and smiled.

What was told about this part of earth? When you visit this place you will left a part of your heart there so you have to return to get it back.

Yes, this was the right description about how he felt now. Just he was returned to one of the most fascinating areas of earth.

„What?" Rodney asked.

John took a deep breath and tasted this special kind of air. Yes, the same taste like in Pakistan. John remembered this little village somewhere in the roots of the mountains.

„Himalaya", he repeated.

And for him this was the truth. Everything seemed to be the same then he found on earth. The thin air was filled with the chirping of the birds and some aroma. Elsewhere he would call this smell a way too much but here it was simple perfect and fitted into the whole scenery.

„Why you always feel the need to compare every single planet to earth?" Rodney asked. „By the way … why someone like you should spend time in the Himalaya? Did you feel the need to herd some Buddhistic monks?"

With this words John came this small convent to his mind. It layed on the mountainside above a cliff. He climbed up to the convent because he heard about something special there. It was a rumour about something really rare, a special relic: the fur of a Yeti.

It seemed like this legend had heard his thoughts, because in this minute the howling began.

John stood still with widened eyes.

What was this howling?

Rodney came close to him. „What the hell is that?" he asked.

Good question …

John shoke his head when the howling stopped surprisingly. „Nothing. I think it was only the wind that turned into a cavern", he tried to explain. But he changed the spate to the left hand to free the right for his Beretta.

„This came not from a cavern", Rodney said hard. „This sounded more like a Bigfoot."

John looked at the scientist. „Is this North-America?" he asked.

„You prefer Sasquatch?"

„I prefer not to speak about those things", John answered hard.

He did not took notice about something but he heard about evidences from other pilots which were crashed on a mountainside deep in the Himalaya. They have seen the footprints ...

„So tell me what it that there?" Rodney asked and pointed upside the hill.

John looked up but could not see much more then a movement between the trees.

„Didn't you tell us this planet should be empty?" he asked.

„It IS empty", Rodney answered.

John frowned and blinkened some times.

A creature appeared between the trees. Red fur was shimmering in the sunlight.

„But what is that?" John asked.

„I'm Dr. McKay not Dr. Wat..."

The howling returned, and now the two men noticed it came from the redhaired creature a way upside the hill.

John noticed something else: This creature was a giant!

He took a step back.

The creature was much taller than him. It had long and strong arms and this red fur all over the body. And it seemed not to be very friendly …

„We have to hurry", John decided after he noticed that the creature began to ran, „back to the gate!"

They both turned around and flee back to the Stargate.

* * *

><p><span>Back on Atlantis:<span>

Peter Grodin lowered the shield after he controlled the ID-number of John Sheppard when Elizabeth came out of her office and looked at the activated Stargate.

„Everything's okay?" she asked her chief of technical support.

Grodin nodded. „Yes. Major Sheppard only said he had something to do before he and Rodney will come back. He asked to hold the wormehole stabile."

Elizabeth frowned and turned back to watch the Stargate.

And now Rodney McKay was stumbling through the event horizon. And a moment later Major Sheppard jumped back into the city of Atlantis and felt to the ground before the wormehole disappeared.

This was the third try of Major Sheppard and Dr. McKay and again the both are coming back with empty hands? No, she corrected herself after she took notice about something the Major was carrying in his hands. Something very small and a little bit green.

McKay now leaded the Major to the control-room. And John Sheppard held this little something in his hands like a precious treasure.

Elizabeth did not really know what to do. This whole scene was so funny but on the other hand she gave a direct order to the Major and he could not fullfill it.

She simply could not believe what she saw:

What the Major was carefully carrying was nothing but a very small progeny of a tree.

Another wormehole was activated while the both men stopped in front of Elizabeth.

John Sheppard smiled at her like a little kid when he offered her the baby-spruce. „Our christmas-tree", he said.

„And we brought it here with our lives at risc", Rodney explained. „A Bigfoot tried to kill us."

„A what?" Elizabeth asked.

„Oh, come on, McKay. This planet was more like Asia. So we better will call the creature Yeti", John corrected and turned back to her. „This is the best we could get. And I think it will be a wonderful … uhm .. small christmas-tree."

Elizabeth felt so poor by ignoring this boyish smile. But then she noticed a movement from the corner of her eye and she looked down into the gateroom where the team of Sergeant Bates was handling with a full and really big spruce-like tree.

„No", she decided with a smile. „That one will be our christmas-tree."

* * *

><p><span>Christmas Eve<span>

Elizabeth stood in front of the tree and looked at it. Everyone have done a great work with decorating it and so she really thought this tree would be one of her personal favourites all over her lifetime.

The first christmas millions of lightyears away from home …

„It's wonderful", Carson Beckett said. The scottish medical came up on her side.

Elizabeth nodded and scratched her arm.

„A really good work from the Major", Carson said.

„No, this tree was found by Sergeant Bates", Elizabeth answered. „Major Sheppard came back with a progeny."

Carson looked surprised but he was still smiling. „You mean this sweet little tree one of the botanists had to worry about?"

Bates came along, scratching his leg.

Elizabeth laughed. „Yes, this little tree", she agreed, scratching her back.

Carson also laughed and began to scratch his hip. Than he looked around and asked: „Where are the both, Rodney and the Major?"

Elizabeth felt a little bit worried about after she noticed the both weren't in the canteen. And suddenly she remembered the angry looks between Sheppard and Bates after they returned to Atlantis. Was this because of her decision?

„I … I don't know", she finally answered.

„Stop this!" The voice of the old botanist Dr. Marple yelled. Breathless the woman ran into the canteen and stopped before Elizabeth. „We have to bring the tree outside as fast as possible", she said, still gasping for breath.

Elizabeth frowned and scratched again. „What? But … why?" She asked.

„There are fleas inside the tree", Dr. Marple answered. „It seemed like it was a special kind of fleas. The breeding is inside the trees of this special planet and when the time is right and the conditions correct the fleas come out." Now she looked around with widened eyes. „Seemed like I am too late ..." She finally said.

Now Elizabeth also looked around to find out that there was no one who was not scratching him- or herself.

„Oh no!"

* * *

><p>And somewhere in the deeper floors of the city of Atlantis in a very special room there were sitting Major John Sheppard and Dr. Rodney McKay. Each of them in front of a special panel. And between this panels there stood this little spruce. An old coffee-pot as the flowery pot and a few stars out of straw and the silver paper from an power bar (cutted down to some silvery tapes) were used as decoration. Beside the little tree stood a burning candle.<p>

Okay, this little tree wasn't as grandios as that one in the canteen but John felt a little bit proud about it. He digged it out, he brought it here and he and Rodney finally have decorated it. Uhm, to be true Rodney ate the power-bar but he cutted the silvery tapes and he made the stars out of the straw.

„You are not cheating me, right, Rodney?" John asked and looked suspicionsly to the opposite panel where the Canadian was sitting.

„I'm not cheating. I am only helpful", Rodney answered.

„What you said ..." John looked at the screen and read about the last actions of „his peoples". And suddenly he felt a little bit peace and love in his heart. He was at home for Christmas …


End file.
